FRISCO, Texas — What were you doing when you were seven years old? Were you rubbing elbows with Ezekiel Elliot, Amari Cooper and several other NFL stars? Did you have over 124,000 followers on Instagram? Did you go viral on the internet for pulling a pick up truck?
These are all things Madden San Miguel has done. And he’s only in second grade.
Madden, named after the Madden video game, stands four feet and seven inches tall and weighs 82 pounds. He plays running back in multiple youth football leagues.
“Scoring. Scoring touchdowns,” said Madden when asked what his favorite part of the game was.
He’s in the end zone so often because of the work he puts in during practice. His trainer is his father, Jake San Miguel, and he oversees Madden’s daily routine. Every day after school, the two workout together. From footwork drills, strength exercises, to route running, all the training has a purpose.”
“My goal is to make it to the NFL, have a big house like Boosie and do good in school,” Madden said.
He’s on the rise and so is his fandom. Madden’s garnered over 124,000 followers on Instagram. His massive following includes players like Rex Burkhead, Xavien Howard, Dez Bryant and many others. He’s also gone next level with musical artist, Boosie. In May, the rapper signed Madden to his marketing and sports management group.
All this fame may come as a surprise to most. For Jake, however, he knew this was all a possibility.
“I had this blueprint from when I was 15-16 years old about what I was going to do with my son,” he said. .
And that’s to share the game he loves. Jake was a football player himself back in the day for Emporia State University.
“I was a running back in high school. I went to college. But drugs were the thing that got in the way of me having a future and playing at the next level.”
So Jake is teaching Madden to learn from his mistakes. But he made it clear he is not living through his son. He’s simply showing him what to do and how to do it.
“No 7 year-old knows what they’re going to do in life. They have to be taught, you know? So I’m teaching him stuff. I’m teaching him how to play sports, eat healthy and work for stuff. I don’t want him to fail like I did.”
While Jake takes care of him on the field, Madden’s mom helps him stay grounded with school and other childhood activities. He’s got a balanced family and a balanced diet. After every workout, the father-son duo end the day with protein smoothies. A decade from now, Madden will be a high school senior playing under the lights. Just one step closer to achieving his NFL dreams.